Flagship standards

[Sassie'sDad]

Interesting artical puts other result claims in perspective:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... level.html

[Guest55]

And the comparison with GS?

[Loopyloulou]

Yes, a comparison with the (selective) grammar schools would be very interesting . Anyone have any info?

[FirstTimeBuyer]

And the comparison with GS?

It is likely that the avergage Grammar School outperperforms the average Indie. In fact it is almost a mathematical certainty.

There are about 150 GSs, and they are all academically selective. Every kid in there is at least in the top 20% in their peer group. In some schools (such at Judd and Tiffin) virtually all will be in the top few percent of their age group.

There are about a thousand private senior schools (or is that all including preps?).
The important point is that only the best of them are truly academically selective in the rigourous way in which GS kids are selected. The main criterion for enty is money, not ability. Many of them take all-comers, and some others specialise in special needs.
As a catchment group they will vary from very smart down to the rich and thick. How could they possibly outperform the GS group?

The 10,000 or so state schools (which include GSs) vastly underperform the Indie schools at the top end (3As), and the point of the article posted above is that for all the trumpeting of Education, Education, Education, that gap has widened dramatically.

IMHO it is the publication of league tables that has had this effect. Schools that rested on their laurels (eg Harrow, Wellington) were shown some years back to be quite mediocre, and have had to up their game.

With no real sanctions against mediocrity, and fewer resources, the State system has not responded in the same way.

[Loopyloulou]

It's true that on average indies aren't nearly as academically selective as grammars at entry, but I'm still not convinced that on average grammars outperform indies at exit...I'm open to persuasion on this one though...

[T.i.p.s.y]

One of the least selective independents in the country - Radley - outperforms all grammars (based on no of pupils achieving 3 A's at A'level in "hard" subjects) with virtually all pupils achieving a minimum of 4 A grades at A'level.

[huntlie]

Good point, Tipsy. It's interesting, though, isn't it, how the gov't is trying to undermine independents? Our local indie girls school is excellent, gets wonderful results even though only about 180 sit for 74 places as opposed to 800+ in the GS for 120, but it is at the very bottom of our borough's league table, registered as having 'zero' pass rate A* - C, when in fact it has 100%, just like most of our local GS.

Why? Because the maths department at the indie decided to go for the IGCSE because it would be more stimulating for their pupils - and got 100% pass rate in it, with something like 60% A8 and A grades. So, this excellent school is bottom of the list, below the bog-standards comps with 26% pass rate.

Of course I am biased though, as I'm forking out half the fees for GD!

[T.i.p.s.y]

Hi Huntlie,

Is everything working out for DGD now and are you all pleased with the school she's going to? I assume your son decided against appealing?

[KB]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/le ... nking.html

Tipsy - let us not forget the top performing school in the Country at A level is a GS

[yoyo123]

In all, the average grammar school student achieved 966 points - equivalent to three-and-a-half A grades.

This compared to 727 points among teenagers in comprehensives and 893 for those in independent schools.

interesting quote from that article too KB


- although the mathematicians amongst us would ask what they mean by "average"!-